In the past, I tried to do everything on my own.  I was unable to finish and felt stressed and exhausted.  I survived this past week of frantic busyness.  With God’s help, I managed to complete what I needed to.  Seeing God’s hand at work gave me the will to go on.  He calmed my spirit and gave me strength to continue.  Some of the stuff God showed me could wait was pushed aside. Deuteronomy 31:6 is, “Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes before you; he will never leave you or forsake you.”Read More →

I never thought of myself as a control freak.  Secretly, I laughed at others who tried to manage everything. I knew that God ran the universe, so I surrendered most of my major problems to Him.  I refused to let go of what I wanted “my way”.  I felt I was capable enough to manage minor issues on my own.  I was stressed from holding onto control.  My fear was that God would not give me what I wanted. Romans 8:28 is, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according toRead More →

During stressful times, I seek God for strength to function. He gives me strength to complete what I am unable to do on my own.  I normally walk away from a trial feeling closer to Him than before. When life gets busy, I spend less time with God.  If I am content with things, I forget to seek Him.  I no longer depend on Him for strength.  Instead of peace, I feel anxiety and dread. I can avoid the discomfort of slipping by continuing to depend on God. Philippians 4:19 is, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his gloryRead More →

 Life happens.  There are times I feel like everything goes wrong.  I run around in circles, trying to fix messes. I push myself past the point of exhaustion.  When I am unable to go any further, I crash. I realize how little I get done with my limited strength. Isaiah 40:29 is, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”  (Holy Bible, New International Version, 2001). God’s supernatural power helps me finish when I want to quit.  With God, I am able to accomplish more than I can on my own.  Together, God and I can face whatever life throws my way.Read More →

Once I start worrying, I can’t stop.  My mind easily runs to fear from peace.  I imagine the worst possible outcome will happen and believe I am doomed.  I waste time worrying and trying to fix things I can’t control.  My sleep suffers and I am unable to concentrate.  I feel out of control and want to stuff my anxieties with food. 1 Peter 5:7 is, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”  (Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011).  God does not want me to worry. He desires I feel His peace.  I can experience this peace only by casting or givingRead More →

My fear of failure causes me to “self destruct”.  I procrastinate so I don’t have to worry about failing.  Finding excuses gives me courage to try again.  The smallest setback triggers me into giving up.  When I feel bloated,  I think I have gained at least 10 pounds and have failed again.  God is helping me face my fear.  I probably will not be completely fear free until I die and go to heaven. 2 Timothy 1:7 is, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self discipline.”  (Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 2007)  God does notRead More →

When I take my eyes off God, I move away from Him.  My focus shifts on “me”.  I wake up to my morning devotion, but spend the rest of the day chasing desires.  This makes me exhausted without getting much done.   I forgot He can help me accomplish more than I can on my own. Philippians 4:14 is, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”  (Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011).  God gives me strength complete my daily tasks.  He help me balance my life between work and play.  I sometimes stubbornly refuse to ask Him for help because I amRead More →

I am not perfect and know I will make mistakes.  I feel shame and embarrassment for my past mishaps.  Whether I said something I should have not, or ate dessert after I was full, I had failed again.  I felt worthless and believed I was a failure who would never experience success.  I thought these guilty, low feelings would motivate me to try harder next time, but it made me feel worse.  No matter how hard I tried, I continued to occasionally fail and felt worse about myself every time. Psalm 103:4 is, “who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.”  (HolyRead More →

After suffering from slow and unreliable online service for years, we finally jumped into the fast lane of high speed internet.  Naturally, I have been exploring entertaining sites and actually doing work at home. Unfortunately, I have discovered the addictive nature of binge watching TV shows.  I must watch another episode to see what happens next.  Watching TV helps me unwind when I am exhausted from doing too much.  I know there is a time to relax and be entertained, but I was getting bored after watching several episodes from a series.  This boredom is a sign I need to get off the couch and do somethingRead More →